Picking The Perfect Putter For You

As we transition into the new year we will now start to look at the different components of the game and how you can improve. The first area is the often overlooked putting green, and an underestimated but very vital tool, your putter.

In an earlier column, I mentioned that it never fails that every year customers will not have an issue dropping $600 or more for the latest driver, but will balk at the thought of investing $300 into a putter. Yet, in a typical round of golf, you will use a driver 10 to 14 times, and a putter 27 to 36 times (or more!)

If there was a club that should have attention (and money)‎ paid to it, it is your putter. But be warned, an expensive putter does not automatically translate to better‎ putting. While the more expensive putters certainly are worth their price due to their higher quality materials and workmanship, that does not mean that they necessarily are the IDEAL FIT FOR YOUR PUTTING STROKE.

Picture this: you might be fortunate to own a $100,000 sports car, but when it comes time to move your children back from university, you would likely agree that a $3,000 pickup truck would be better for that job!

You have probably noted that putters offer the most diverse styles, options, and designs of any other club in golf. That is because putters are the most 'individual' club in golf - where feel, visual appeal, color, sound, and personal attachment are some of the factors golfers consider when selecting this tool for their bag. The options are truly endless.

Next time, we will dig deeper into the technical aspects of your putting stroke and how to find out what putter type you need. Until then, think about the following:

Picture yourself standing on the center of a giant clockface and move your putter back and forth as you would when putting. Does it feel like the putterhead flows in a straight line from the 3 to 9 consistently, or swings more in an arc from the 4 to 8? Neither way is wrong, but very important to deciding the right tool for the job!